


Yield Me Any Grace

by Fira21



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-13
Updated: 2010-03-13
Packaged: 2018-01-18 21:37:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1443793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fira21/pseuds/Fira21
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'Yet will he never rue nor yield me any grace?' Merlin spies on Arthur singing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yield Me Any Grace

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [Serenade for Merlin](http://obsidianserpent.deviantart.com/art/Serenade-for-Merlin-159624498)

It started, as these things usually did, with late nights. Merlin had been dismissed for the evening, Gwen had already left for home and Gaius didn’t need anything so he found himself with little to do.

Normally this would lead to Merlin heading back to Arthur’s room for a bit to sit as he and Arthur read, or Arthur went over practice plans, or the two of them played chess, or just talked (which was quite rare as Arthur had a problem with conversing without insulting and Merlin couldn’t help but rise to the bait).

However Arthur had been dismissing him earlier than usual the last few days (letting him go tonight before he could even collect the remains of Arthur’s supper) and it left Merlin with little to do but study magic or read. The former of which being rather difficult to do and even more difficult to do secretly and the latter being less soothing than usual without Arthur’s presence flickering in his senses.

Tonight though, tonight he would not be refused. He was, quite honestly, fed up with being ignored and left to his own devices. The fact that this was likely more of a co-dependence on Arthur mixed with a need to have him in his sights at all times (which considering Arthur’s tendency to get himself magicked and almost killed on a regular basis was a completely understandable fear) was something Merlin was unlikely to admit.

So he found himself sneaking from his rooms and Gaius’s chambers to the corridor and making his way to Arthur’s room without seeing many people or guards. It wasn’t that late but when there weren’t feasts to prepare for or mythical creatures to defeat the castle was actually quiet at night, as though people had decided to get as much sleep as possible before the next disaster happened. As these things tended to happen on a semi-regular basis, Merlin couldn’t say he blamed them.

He was up the stairs and down the hall leading to Arthur’s room when he heard it: a faint tuneless strumming. He barely recognized it as a sound similar to a bard’s lute (and wouldn’t have recognized it at all if they hadn’t had a bard at the last feast, the music coming from his instrument enchanting Merlin who had never heard it’s like before).

As he neared Arthur’s room the strumming became louder and slowly turned into a melody. Outside Arthur’s door the sound was loudest and Merlin slowly (carefully, quietly) opened the door to see Arthur in his chair, a lute in his arms and his fingers plucking the strings, face smoothed in concentration and eyes focused on the lute. He kept quiet, feeling an intruder on this moment but unable to leave as Arthur’s tongue wet his lips and he began to sing:

_‘Come again! Sweet love doth now invite_  
Thy graces that refrain  
To do me due delight.  
To see, to hear, to touch, to kiss, to die,  
With thee again in sweetest sympathy.’ 

Merlin watched, enraptured, as music came from the instrument, from _Arthur_ , fingers coaxing a tune sweeter than any bard could ever pull from the strings, his voice rough but full of passion and his face shifting with every word, expressing every emotion. He had no concept of time as he stood there, knees weak and chest almost aching, powerless to move or speak or even breathe as the song drew to a close.

_‘Out alas my fate is ever true_  
Yet will he never rue  
Nor yield me any grace.  
His eyes of fire, his heart of flint is made,  
Whom tears nor truth may once invade.’ 

Merlin let out a sigh (somewhere inside him winced at how girlish he sounded) and inwardly cursed as it drew Arthur’s attention. There was a moment where they were both at their weakest, Arthur’s face open and acting entirely unprincely and Merlin all but melted on the floor, but it passed as Arthur set the lute down and Merlin gathered what was left of his senses. He had to admit that not much of an attempt was made and even as Arthur was preparing to speak (and no doubt say something cutting) Merlin was already interrupting.

“So _Mer_ lin, what-”

“Again.”

The posturing look on Arthur’s face slid off quickly to be left with surprise. “I beg your pardon?” He asked.

Merlin stepped forward, letting the door shut behind him and slid to the floor, sitting in front of Arthur, not even caring what it looked like. “Again. Please.”

Arthur was still sputtering. “I-I don’t-”

“Arthur.” Arthur met his gaze and Merlin could tell the moment he went from surprised to serious. He nodded and picked up the lute again. He looked at Merlin once more before he started, before breathing deeply and his fingers moved on the strings.

And this time, Merlin didn’t miss the intentional use of “his” as Arthur met his gaze every time he spoke it.

When he was finished, Merlin crooked his finger and murmured a soft “Come here”. Arthur didn’t argue, he just carefully set the lute down and walked over, kneeling as he reached Merlin. The air crackled between them.

“That was beautiful.” Merlin whispered.

“Of course it was.” Arthur said, but his voice was barely more than a croak and his eyes were dark. His hand reached out and Merlin shivered as it brushed his cheek tilting forward even as Arthur did the same and their lips brushed. Merlin’s stomach lurched and he felt Arthur shudder.

“Yet will he never rue,” Arthur murmured against his lips. “Nor yield me any grace?”

“Of course not.” Merlin whispered as he felt a tingling pleasure rush through him. “I can’t make things too easy for you can I?”


End file.
